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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. H. LEAUH. MACHINE FOR LABELING CANS.

Zl/iZrzesses (No Model.)

2 Sh1 ets--Sheetv 2. W. H. LEAGH. MACHINE FOR LABELING CANS ,791'.Patented Dec. 27, .1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY LEACH, OF CHENOA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-I-IALF, BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HARGER, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, AND LUCY A. HARGER, OFPQNTIAQ'MICHIGAN.

MACHlNE FOR LABELING CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,791,dated December2'7, 1892.

Application filed May 13, 1892. Serial No. 432,894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,WILLIAM HENRY LEACH,

- rendered automatic in feeding labels in a continuous strip, inapplying thereto the adhesive fluid, in delivering the cans to receivethe labels, in rolling and pressing the label around the can, and insevering the label from the :5 strip in the continuous operation of themachine. In these particulars I will now describe the devicesillustrated in the drawings and will specifically set out in the claimsconeluding this specification, the parts and comgo binations of partswhich constitute my invention.

In'the accompanying drawings I have shown provision for an air blast asa means of applying the end of the glued label to the body 7 of the can,but it is obvious that this provision may be dispensed with and the endof the label otherwise applied.

In these drawingsFigure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section ofmy said can labeling machine, showing the can in position to receive theend of the label and to be seized and rolled with the label around it;Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 0cx of Fig. 1.

5 All the operating parts of the machine are mounted for conjointoperation in a suitable frame and their disposition is such, in theorganization shown, that the power or primary shaft 1 is mounted at thetop and near one end of the frame; while at the other end of the latterand near its top is mounted the shaft 2 of the paper roll, and

' from which the paper strip 3 on which the labels are already printedin series, is fed 5 to the cans, and in a direction toward the other endof the machine. Between these two shafts and below them are arranged themechanisms for the operations of feeding, gluing, perforating andapplying the paper in the form of labels to the cans, and forthe'operations of feeding the cans, wrapping the labels around them, andfor delivering the labeled cans, which I will now describe.

4 is a guideway or walled passage for the strip of paper from the roll.It is open at the bottom, is arranged alongthe frontside of the machine,and contains rolls 5 for holding the paper stripdown upon the feed rollsand for the action of the pasting brush.

5 is a feed roll placed below and entering the bottom of the paperguide,and is mounted upon a shaft 6 which extends across the frame and isoperated from the power shaft in a way which I will presently state. 7is a smaller feed-roll mounted on ashort shaft, in advance of and drivenfrom the larger-feedroll, and like it enters the bottom of thepaperguide, so that the paper-strip is fed by these two rolls beneath theholding rolls 5 in the guide way. 7o

8 is a glue containing box in advance of the feed-rolls; and 9 is abrush mounted therein and entering the paper guide Way preferablybetween two of the holding rolls5 therein,for applying the paste to theunder side of the paper strip as the latter is fed along. The twofeed-rolls and the brush are driven by a cord 9 passing around pulleys1O suitably arranged on the shafts of the rolls and of the brush. Iprefer to support the paper above the brush by parallel wires or rods 11through and between which the brush rotates in contact with the paperstrip.

Just in advance of the smaller feed roll I arrange a verticallyoperating paper perforating device 12 for perforating the striptransversely at points between the printed labels, for the purpose andin the way which I shall presently describe.

At and below the delivery end of the guide way and at right anglesthereto I place a horizontal way 13, on which the cans are slid to thepoint and in position to receive the label;

and for sliding the cans in the proper order on this slide way toreceive the label as it is presented, I provide an endless chain 14:having arms 15 disposed at the proper distance apart, and moved over thesaid Way so as to come against the end of the can and slide it on saidway to the proper point. This armed I00 chain feeder is mounted onsprocket wheels 16 one of which is operated from the shaft 6 of the feedroll by bevel gear 17 and a counter shaft 18 engaging equal bevel gear19 on the roll and the pulley shafts, so that the presentation of thelabel and the delivery of the can to receive it shall be in the properorder. In the arrangement shown this counter shaft is at the rear sideof the machine, while the operation of applying the labels to the cansis effected at the front side of the machine so as to be convenient forthe attendant to see that the machine is properly working. The action ofthe chain arm is such as to deliver the can at right angles to and justbeneath the open end of the paper guide way and just before the gluedstrip is fed over the body of the can, and I provide for supporting thecan in this position a pivoted shelf 20, which is sustained by a spring21 having sufficient tension to support the weight of the can and seenin Fig. 2, as connecting the shelf pivot and frame. It is in thisposition of the can and of the overhanging end of the glued paper stripthat I apply this end of the strip to the body of the can, and I use asa means for doing this, an air blast directed on the paper from theflattened end 22 of a tube 23 connected with a suitable blower 24:driven by a belt 25 from a pulley 26 on the powershaft. The end of thelabel having been blown down upon the surface of the can adheresthereto, and for the purpose of deliverthe can from its supporting shelfand drawing and wrapping the label around it, I provide the followingmeans: Connected to the delivery end of the paper guide way and in linetherewith is a spring sustained trough 27, having a curved bottom 28which extends from beneath the pivoted shelf and is wider than thelength of the can which is delivered into said trough from said shelfand rolled down and out at its other end. Mounted in the frame abovethis curved trough and in line therewith is a wrapping wheel 29 havingcircumferential segmental cavities 30 at opposite points diametrically.The diameter of this wheel is of considerable size as compared with thecan and its relation to thelatter when supported on the shelf, is suchthat the circumferential line of said wheel will overlap thecircumference of the can. The Wheel is therefore provided with saidsegmental cavities in order that, in its rotation it will beintermittently arrested with one of said cavities in line with theendwise movement of the cans so that the latter will be moved in thepath of the Wheel. In this position of the can, the circumference of thewheel at its junction with the cavity, will strike the can on its topand rolling it will force it down, over and from its yielding springsustained shelf upon thecurved bottom of the trough, rolling the canbetween the two surfaces and thereby wrap the label smoothly around thebody of the can and deliver the latter from the trough. The radius ofthe recesses is greater than the radius of the can in order that thespace between the delivery end of the paper guide and the wheel at itsrecessed circumference shall be ample for the passage of the can inbeing moved upon its supporting shelf. To give the circumference of thewrapping wheel a cushioned or yielding surface, I prefer to cover itwith felt 31; while the trough supported at its delivery end by asuitable spring 32 will yield under the rolling action of the canthereon by the rotation of the wheel. In this operation it is importantto notice that the feed of the paper-strip, the delivery of the can uponits shelf and the rotation of the wrap ping wheel are so timed that thewheel will strike the end of the paper strip resting on the can androlling the can in the direction of the turning of the wheel, will pullthe paper forward over the body of the can. In this operation the airblast is delivered upon the glued paper, which is thereby pressed downupon the can and is thereby caused to adhere to the can, so that theaction of the wheel and trough completes the wrapping and presses andsmooths it down upon the can. The length of the label will of course besuited to the size of the can and it is severed from the strip by thepulling action of the wheel at a point that will bring the severed endof the paper in position over the next can as it is moved on the shelf.This severing of a label from the strip takes place at the line ofperforations 33 and just before the perforator descends to perforate orpuncture the paper strip for the next label. This perforator consists ofa rod 12 having a line of pricking pins 3% depending into position inthe paper guide above the paper strip and in advance of the small feedroll 7 from a crank arm 35 on a rock shaft 36 which, by an arm 37 isconnected to ahorizontal rod 38,0ne end of which is connected to an arm39 on ashort rock shaft and the other end slides in a guide 40 in theframe. At this guide supported end the rod 38 has a pawl 41 which takesinto a ratchet 42 on the shaft of thewrapping wheel, so that this wheeland the perforator are operated in harmony for drawing and perforatingthe paper in the way I have stated. This operation is effected by aneccentric 43 on the power shaft and a rod 44 connecting this eccentricwith an arm 45 on the short rock shaft 46 from which an arm 47 extendsand carries two pawls 47 and 48 which alternately engage a ratchet wheel49 on the shaft of the large feed-r0115, so that from this eccentricconnection all the coacting parts areoperated. The alternate engagementof the pawls 47 and 48 it must be noted will give an intermittentrotation to the large feed-roll and it is at the moment of suchintermittentaction' of the feed-roll that the paper strip is heldforsevering the label as stated. The regulation of the speed of theoperation is effected by the adjustments of the said pawls on their armand the adjustments of the eccentric rod IOC with the rock arm 45 whichoperates the said pawls. In order to allow the latter adjustment thepitman-rod 44 is made in two parts fastened together by bolts passingthrough slots'or holes in the lapped ends. The pitman can therefore beadjusted on the arm 45, which has holes like the arm 37 for thatpurpose, without changing the relation of the pawls, and therebyregulate the feed.

The cans or bottles to be labeled are supplied from an inclined chute 51so that they run down one by one upon the end of the slide way 13, andit will be understood that each can in said chute is supported incontact with each other and with the can resting on the slideway so thatas the chain arm moves one can forward to the wrapping wheel another canwill run down on the slide way in position to be moved forward by thenext chain arm, so that the chute need only be kept supplied with cansto render the operation of the machine continuous, in the feed of thecans and in the feed of the paper printed strip to a point in themachine where they are brought together at right angles in their pathsand at which they are united together by a rolling movement of the canin the line of the feed of the paper strip. In this operation the cansare fed to the paper strip automatically from one side of the machine,while the paper strip is fed from one end of the machine, and it is atthe junction of these two movements that the paper strip, labeled asstated, is applied, the can and the glued paper strip then seized androlled together between arotating wrapping wheel and a yield ingsupport, the frictional contact of the wheel gives to the can a positiverotary motion to effect the wrapping of the label thereon and toseparate the label from the printed paper strip.

In the foregoing specification I have specifically described therelations of the Various parts and their operating connections, but itis obvious that immaterial changes may be made in these matters, and forthis reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto inprecise detail and construction. And, in the omission, in the severalconcluding claims, of any one of the elements of the machine, or theomission of reference to particular features of construction of theelements mentioned therein, is intended to be a formal declaration ofthe fact that the omitted elements or features are not essential to theinvention severally covered therein. It will be also understood that mymachine is equally well adapted for labeling bottles and other articlesof cylindrical form.

Having thus described a machine embodying in preferred form the severalfeatures of my present invention in combination, what I separately claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

33 in its bottom, feeding rolls for the paperstrip, a perforator forsaid label-strip consisting of a vertical rod 13 having a row of pins 34arranged to penetrate the strip at said bottom perforations, a pastebrush revolving beneath said paper-strip and through the bottom rods .inadvance of the perforating device, means for operating the several partsand means forseizing and severing the label from the strip by a pullingaction and applying the severed label to the can, substantially as.described.

2. The combination, with the label paper strip feeding and supportingrolls, of a guide way for the paper strip, a box for containing adhesiveliquid, a paste brush revolving be-V neath said paper strip, and aperforating device reciprocating above said paper strip, a trough and awheel for applying the labels to cans, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a feed for the label paper strip, and a guideway for said strip, of a movable shelf for supporting the cans at thedelivering end of said guide way, a pasting device for said label strip,and means for feeding and delivering the cans to be labeled upon saidshelf, a trough and a wheel for applying labels to cans, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination,with a feed for the paper label strip, and a guideway for said strip, of a spring sustained shelf for supporting the cansat the delivering end of said guide way, a pasting device for said labelpaper strip, and a laterally operating carrier for delivering the cansto be labeled upon said shelf, a trough and a wheel for applying labelsto the cans, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a feed for the paper label strip, a movableshelf for supporting the cans in position to receive the same, a pastingdevice ,for said paper strip, a yielding trough below said shelf, and awheel having circumferential recesses for seizing and rolling said cansand the labels thereon within the trough, substantially as described.

6. The combination,with a feed for the paper label strip, a movableshelf for supporting the can in position to receive thesame, a pastingdevice for the paper strip, a laterally operating carrier device fordelivering the cans to be labeled upon said shelf, a yielding troughbelow said shelf, and a wheel having circumferential recesses forseizing and rolling said can and the label thereon within said trough,substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a feed for the paper label strip, a perforatingdevice therefor, a pasting device for said paper strip, a movable shelffor supporting the can in position to receive the same, a laterallyoperating car rier for delivering the cans to be labeled upon saidshelf, a yielding troughbelow said shelf, and a rotating device abovesaid trough for seizing and rolling said can and the label thereonwithin said trough, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a can labeling niaehine of a feedfor thelabelpaper strip, a suitable feeding and supporting guide way therefor, apasting device, and a suitable support for the can to receive thelabel,with ablower arranged to deliver an air. blast upon the end of the paperoverhanging the can, a trough and a wheel for applying labels to cans,sub stantially as described.

9. The combination, in a can labeling machine of a feed for thelabelpaper strip, a suitable feeding and supporting guideway therefor, apasting device for said label strip, a movable support for the can toreceive the label, a laterally operating carrier to deliver the cans tobe labeled, a blower arranged to deliver an air blast upon the end ofthe label overhangingthe can,aspringsustained trough beneath said shelf,and a wheel having circumferential recesses for seizing and rolling saidcans and labels thereon within said trough, substantially as described.

10. In a machine forlabeling cans, the combination, with a feed for thelabel paper strip, a pivoted spring sustained shelf for snpporting thecan in position to receive the same, a pasting device for saidpaperstrip, ayielding trough below said shelf, a rotating device inposition above said shelf, forseizing and pressing down, and rolling thecan from its shelf, separating the label from the strip and rolling thecan and label together in the way and for the purpose stated.

11. In a machine for labeling cans, the combination, with a feed for thepaper strip, a movable shelf for supporting the can in position toreceive the same, a pasting device for said label strip, a yieldingtrough below said shelf, and an intermittently rotating wheel above saidtrough having circumferential recesses and a circumferential pad orcushion for the purpose stated.

12. In a machine for labeling cans, the combination, with a feed for thepaper strip, a fixed guide way therefor, a movable shelf for supportingthe can to receive the end of the label, a pasting device for said paperstrip, a laterally arranged fixed slideway for delivering the cansendwise upon said shelf, and a laterally operating endless carrier formoving the cans over said slideway and upon said shelf, a trough and awheel for applying labels to cans, substantially as described.

13. The combination, in a machine for labeling cans, of a feed for thepaper strip, a fixed guideway therefor, a movable shelf for supportingthe can to receive the end of the label, a pasting device for said labelstrip, a laterally arranged fixed slideway for delivering the cansendwise upon said shelf, alaterally operating endless armed carrier formoving the cans over said slideway and upon said shelf, and an inclinedchute arranged at the outer end of said slideway for automaticallydelivering the cans one at a time upon said slideway in position tosupport the other cans in said chute and to he slid forward by thecarrier arm and thereby allow another can to descend upon the slideway,a trough and a wheel for applying labels to the cans, substantially asdescribed.

14. The combination in a machine for labeling cans, of a feed for thepaper strip,arotating pasting device therefor, a laterally operatingendless carrier, and a rotating wrapping wheel, with a suitable fixedguideway for the label strip, a fixed guide way for the cans, aspringsustained shelf at the end of said guideway, a spring sustained troughbelow said wheel and mechanism for operating the several partssimultaneously in the way described.

15. The combination, in a can labeling machine, of a fixed guide way forthe label, a movable shelf. at the delivering end of said guideway, aspring sustained trough below said shelf, and a rotating wheel abovesaid trough, for operation in the way described.

16. The combination, ina can labeling machine, of a fixed guide way forthe label paper-strip, a movable shelf at the delivery end of saidguideway, a curved trough below said shelf and forming a continuation ofsaid fixed guideway, anda rotating device above said trough for seizingand rolling the can and label together, and means for delivering cans insuccession upon said shelf, substantially as described.

17. A device for applying labels to cans consisting of a curved trough,a yielding shelf at the upper end thereof for supporting the can, and awheel having circumferential recesses for seizing and rolling said canand the label thereon within said trough, substantially as described.

18. In a machine for labeling cans, the combination with a feed and aguideway for the label-paper-strip, a pasting device for said strip, amovable shelf for supporting the can to receive the same, a curvedtrough below said shelf, and an intermittently rotating wheel above saidtrough having a covering cushion and adapted to automatically seize,

.deliver and roll the can into and through said trough in the waysubstantially as described.

19. In a can-labeling machine, the combination, with a guide-way and afeed for the paper-'label-strip, of avertically reciprocatingperforating device adapted to partially sever said strip transversely, apaste-brush rotating beneath said paper-strip in advance of saidperforating device, a support for the can at the end of said guideway,and a rotating device at the end of said can-support constructed toseize and draw the strip forward, complete the severance of the labelfrom the strip and apply it to the can in the way described.

20. The combination,in a can-labeling machine, of a guideway, andfeed-rolls for the label-paper-strip, a rotating paste-brush beneath thepaper-strip, and a perforating device above said strip, with mechanismfor operating said feed-rolls, the paste-brush and the perforatorconsisting of the pawls 47 a and 48, the rock-rod 46,having the arms 39,45 and 47, the eccentric and its rod 44 connecting and operating saidpawl arm 45, and the arm 38 connecting and operating said perforator,the shaft 6 and the ratchet-wheel 49 thereon for operating said shaftand the connections from the latter for operating the feed-rolls,substantially as described.

21. In a machine for labeling cans, in combination the eccentric 43, itspitman-rod, the rock-shaft 46, its arms 45, 39 and 47, the pawls on thelatter, the shaft 6, the ratchet-wheel 49 thereon, a guideway and afeed-device for the label strip, a paste device for thelatter,avertically reciprocating perforating device for saidlabel-strip, the rod 38 connecting said WILLIAM HENRY LEAOH.

Witnesses:

MARTIN SHEPHERD, JOHN DOODY.

